Ice presents many problems to a variety of industries. An example of one such problem can be found in the aviation industry when ice forms on surfaces of an aircraft. Ice on a surface of an aircraft, such as a wing, can create hazardous conditions for the aircraft, particularly while the aircraft is in flight. Another example can be found in the ground transportation industry when ice forms on a windshield of an automobile. Ice on the windshield can create a hazardous driving environment for the driver of the automobile. Removing the ice from such surfaces can minimize hazardous conditions.
Present systems for removing ice include electric heaters that apply power to resistive elements to generate heat. Other present systems include chemical solutions that generate chemical reactions to thermally dissolve the ice. The electric heaters apply a magnitude of power to a resistive element to directly and proportionally melt all ice from the surface in contact with the electric heaters. The chemical solutions may thermally dissolve the ice but do not last for extended periods of time and produce undesirable conditions for the natural environment. These systems are inefficient since they seek to completely melt all of the ice.
Methods to remove ice include using a mechanical scrapper. Mechanical scrappers are often used to address the problem of ice adhering to an object's surface. However, mechanical scrappers are often hand-held and unwieldy to operate. Furthermore, mechanical scrappers are not always effective in removing ice and may damage the surface to which the ice has adhered.
Failure to properly remove ice from the surface of an object can have potentially catastrophic results. For example, an overabundance of ice on an aircraft in flight can dangerously reduce lift force of the aircraft and deny proper operation of some aircraft components. Another example includes a build up of ice on an automobile windshield; if the ice is not removed, a driver's vision may become impaired to the point that the driver will no longer be able to properly navigate the vehicle.